Pipe joint sealing device



April 1938. P. D. MERRILL 2,115,670

PIPE JOINT SEALING DEVICE Filed July 31, 1935 INVENTOR.

PATTEP'JOA Q Mme/(z.

ATTORNEY.

sitioned in closely spaced relation to the face of fa es f said ringparts Patented Apr. 26, 1938 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIPE JOINTSEALING DEVICE Patterson D. Merrill, South Bend, Ind., assignor to M. B.Skinner 00., South Bend, Ind.

Application July 31, 1935, Serial No. 33,987 5 Claims. (Cl. 285-119)This invention relates to devices for s al ng ing device of the typeillustrated in Patent No. the joints of pipes to prevent leakage. It isde- 1,994,527, issued March 19, 1935, for a bell and signed especiallyfor use in connection with pipes spigot pipe joint. The ring l comprisestwo the bell and p typ in Which the semi-circular parts adapted to besecured tolargeol end or hell of one p pe rece ves t e gether at theirends in coplanar relation and the Spigot d 0 the a ja t P pe, With peeach having an inner wall I2 of frusto-conical ing between theoverlapped and interfitt p shape whose inner surface provides a face forentions of the pipes. "Devices of this character gaging a d pressingagainst a rubber o other al y mpr s a tw anchor in suitable sealingelement (not shown), there bem un ed on a D S t ed by t e bel portion oring provided integral with said wall a flange I4 10 memb Of t e jo and aW -D follower adapted to partially overlie such sealing element. ringencircling the sp t p rt n adja t th Flange 14 forms a continuation of asubstanlOlht and drawn longitudinally the p p to tially cylindricalouter wall l6 formed integrally press a Sealing element againet the endface of with wall 12 at the outer part thereof whereby 15 th bell D Thisve o relates p said ring is substantially V-shaped in cross sec- 15larly t0 the follower ring l hfl tion. A plurality of spaced radial websor ribs The primary object of this invention is to pro- 18 span saidwalls to reinforce the same, one of Vlde a two-part w r TingConstruction W said webs being positioned at each end of each means forinterconnecting the parts thereof poring part to provide a part of theend bearing A flange 20 is integrally 2b the ring engaging the sealmgelement. formed with and extends outwardly from the wall A further()blect is to provid? novel ring Pa I '6 in substantially coplanarrelation in the inner mterconnecjtmg member havlllg larg? edge of wallI2, said flange being provided with partenga'gmg area efiectlvely holdmgthe spaced enlarged portions 22 having draw bolt 25 pa t t0gethers ireceiving openings, therein, and enlargements 25 A fu oblect 18 toProvide a twopart rmg 26 formed at the endsof each ring part. A boss ofthis character with means for interconnecting 28 is formed at each endof each ring part the pelts t0 Positively align same in coplanar tegralwith and projecting outwardly from wall reletloha l6 and laterally, fromflange 20, said bosses 30 a A further 1 15 provlde. 3 2 1 g terminatingatone side in spaced relation to the 30 a 'P rmg of thls character ap eo outer edge of flange l4 and projecting a substanextend parallel to theaxis of the ring and pro- V i tial d1stance beyond flange 2|] at theopposite Vlded with convergmg faces bearing on the rmg side thereof toprovide guide or bearing faces 3|] parts to drawthe latter together whenthe conomset from flange 2a. A reinforcing flange 32 35 nector isapplied thereto. i 35 other objects will be apparent from the pioiectsoutwardly of the boss 28 at each end of scription and the appendedclaims each ring part perpendicularly of flange part 26. In the drawing,By this ring construction, each ring part is pro- Figure 1 is a View ofthe ring in Side elevation vided with end faces oflarge area formed byweb v Figure 2 is a fragmentary side view illustratboss 28 and fimlge 40ing cooperating ends of the ring parts without the A vconfigmed gulde 15formed In connector. each boss 28 to extend III a direction parallel toFigure 3 is an end view of one of the ring the axis of he ring, saidguide way compri i part5 viewed on l 3 .3 1' Figure 2 tapering curvedwalls 34, the axis of curvature of Figure 41 a fragmentary sectionalView taken Which lies in the plane of the end face of the 45 on line 4-4of Figure 2. ring part, spaced parallel walls 36 perpendicular Figure 5is a fragmentary side view of the t0 the end lface the ring p a nedOutside of the ring opposite that shown in Figures wardl directed walls38 lying in a plane inclined 1 and 2 illustrating connector artl appliedto the end face of the ring part in the direction of th t the sidethereof carrying flange l4, and a curved 50 Figure 6 is a view of theconnector in side end wall ill inclined in the same direction.elevation. When the ends of the ring parts are positioned Referring tothe drawing, which illustrates the in contacting engagement, the guideways therepreferred embodiment of the invention, the nuof register andprovide an I-shaped guide openmeral l0 designates the follower ring of asealing having a central circular enlarged portion, 55

the walls thereof tapering in relation to each other.

A connector 42 serves to secure the parts together, and comprises acentral plate portion 44 from the center of one end of which projects anintegral enlarged threaded part or stem 46 whose axis is an extension ofthe longitudinal center line of plate 44. Laterally projecting from theopposite faces of plate 44 at each side thereof are elongated guides 48whose inner faces 50 are aligned, the faces at opposite sides of theconnector lying in converging planes equiangular to the axis of portion46, the spacing of said enlargements being greater at the end of themember from which portion 46 projects.

In connecting the ring parts, the ends thereof are brought into adjacentregistering relation, and the connectors 42 are inserted in the guideways of the bosses 28 from the end thereof adjacent fiange l4 asillustrated in Figure 5 with the extension 46 thereof foremost. Thefaces 50 of the connectors bear upon the faces 38 of the guide ways ofthe opposite ring parts, the inclination of which faces 50 and 38relative to the axis of said connector and guide ways, respectively, isidentical and equal. The enlarged stem 46 of connector 42 isaccommodated by the central tapering portion of the guide way providedby the transversely curved walls 34. The connector 42 is forced into theguide ways toward the position illustrated in Figure 4, the movementthereof to which position, through the cooperating faces 38 and 50 ofthe ring parts and connector, respectively, serving to draw the ends ofthe ring parts into abutting or engaging relation. The spacing of thefaces 38 from the end faces of the ring parts at the side thereofdefined by guide faces 30 is preferably less than one-half the maximumspacing of faces 50 of the connectors, whereby said connectors assumethe position illustrated in Figure 4 with the end thereof from whichstem 46 projects terminating inwardly of face 30. A nut 52 is threadedon stem 46 of each connector and is brought into face contactingengagement with guide faces 30 of the bosses 28 of the ring parts tolock said faces 30, and the similar or complementary portions of eachring part, in true coplanar or complementary relation. The resultantring structure is thus absolutely true, so that all circumferentialparts of the walls l2 engaging the sealing element have identicalrelation with all remaining parts of the ring. In this way, where equalstress is applied to all parts of the follower ring by the draw bolts,walls l2 apply equal compression to the sealing element at allcircumferential points thereof to provide a uniform tight seal.

Another of the outstanding advantages of this ring construction obtainedby the use of this type of connector for securing together the ringparts is the maintaining of the full extent of the end faces of the ringparts in contacting engagement. This is provided by virtue of thefollowing features of the construction: The large area face contactingengagement of the faces 50 of the connector with the faces 38 of thering parts for substantially the full width of the ring; the doubleengagement of said connectors with said ring parts at different radii ofthe ring, i. e. at opposite sides of the central plate 44 of theconnector; and the close spacing of the connectors to the walls l2 ofthe ring which tends to act more effectively upon said walls to minimizeseparation of the ends of said walls during the application thereby ofcompressive stresses to the sealing element, so that said walls I2provide a continuous surface for engaging the sealing element. Anotheradvantage of this construction is the great strength and rigidity of thering part connection as compared with the conventional bolted flangetype of ring part connection.

I claim:

1. In a pipe joint sealing device the combination with a pair ofcomplementary ring parts having a substantially conical inner wall and asubstantially cylindrical outer wall, an enlargement formed integrallywith said outer wall at each end of each part and having an openingextending from side to side thereof and open at the end of said part todefine a shoulder spaced from and in angular relation to the end face ofeach part and to the complementary shoulder of the adjacent part, saidshoulders being positioned adjacent to the outer end of said inner wall,of a connector fitting in openings of adjacent parts and having taperedbearing surfaces engaging said shoulders for the full width of the ringand adjacent to said inner wall to draw said ring parts into endcontacting engagement, and means for locking said connector in saidopenings.

2. In a pipe joint sealing device, the combination with a pair ofarcuate ring parts having inner and outer walls, said inner walls beingsubstantially conical for engagement with a gasket, said outer wallshaving enlarged ends each provided with a groove extending transverselytherethrough and having a restricted mouth opening to the end face ofsaid part to provide a pair of radially spaced aligned shouldersinclined to the end face of said part, the inner of said shouldersterminating adjacent the large diameter end of said inner wall of aconnector mounted in the grooves of adjacent ends of said parts, saidconnector being of I-section to provide aligned bearing faces at eachside thereof for engagement with said shoulders, said bearing facestapering longitudinally of said connector to draw said parts into endengagement, and means for looking said connector in said grooves withsaid inner walls in coplanar relation to provide a continuous conicalgasket engaging face.

3. In a pipe joint sealing device, the combination with a pair of ringparts having inclined inner walls and end portions with end faces andside guidev faces, the complementary faces of each ring part havingidentical relation to the inner wall thereof, said end portions havinggrooves extending transversely therethrough and each including arestricted mouth opening to said end face to provide a shoulder, of aconnector mounted in said grooves and comprising a body portion providedwith off-sets having bearing faces lying in converging planes and eachhaving face contacting engagement with one of said shoulders, a threadedstem projecting longitudinally centrally of said body at the largedimension end thereof, and a member threaded on said stem for drawingsaid connector into said grooves to draw said ring parts into end facecontact, said member having face contacting engagement with the guidefaces of adjacent ring parts to position said parts in coplanar relationwith said inner walls precisely centered to form a continuous conicalinner ring wall.

4. In a pipe joint sealing device, the combination with a pair of ringparts each having a comparatively thin tapered inner gasket-engagingwall portion and enlarged ends substantially coextensive with the widthof said ring, said ends having radial faces extending outwardly from theinner ring edge and configured transverse grooves inclined relative toand interrupting said faces adjacent the large dimension edge of saidinner wall portion, of a tapered configured connector mounted incomplementary grooves of adjacent ring ends to secure said ring partstogether with said inner walls in precise concentric relation and withthe edges thereof in coplanar relation, said end faces having full faceengagement toequalize throughout the full width of said inner wall theseparating and 'disaligning stresses applied thereto.

5. In a pipe joint sealing device, the combination with a pair ofcomplementary ring parts of V-section each having a tapered inner walland an integral outer wall, a flange integral with and spanning saidWalls at each end thereof, an

integral enlargement projecting from said outer walls at each end ofeach ring part, said flanges and enlargements defining the parting facesof said ring parts, said enlargement having a guide face perpendicularto said parting face, each enlargement having a T-shaped groove thereinadjacent said outer wall to provide shoulders spaced from and extendingangularly of said parting face and aligned radially of said ring, of atapered connector of I-section seating in the grooves of adjacent ringparts against said shoulders and shiftable parallel to the ring axis todraw the parting faces of adjacent ring parts into full engagement, andmeans cooperating with each connector and seating on the guide faces ofadjacent ring parts to position the parting faces in precise registeringrelation, whereby the inner walls of the assembled ring parts form aprecise conical surface relative to the ring axis.

PATTERSON D. MERRILL.

